The news came first from The New York Times, which spoke to Noah and quoted him as saying, "You don't believe it for the first few hours. You need a stiff drink, and then unfortunately you’re in a place where you can’t really get alcohol."

"If ever this comedy thing doesn't work out, I've got poverty to fall back on. And I'm pretty sure I'll be cool there," Noah jokes in a documentary about his life called "You Laugh But It's True."

As a biracial child of South Africa's apartheid era, Noah has often mixed comedy with serious topics.

"Flying into America particularly has been the worst. ... Sir uhh South Africa. Have you been in contact with Ebola? Like my answer would be yes. Next stop Disney World!" he says in a stand-up act for a charity event put on by the organization Comic Relief.